Pool of SAF’s military experts gets its biggest addition

SINGAPORE — He was an aspiring musician in his younger days, but the monetary constraints of his family situation, having been raised by a single parent, did not allow him to pursue his passion — until the military made music his career.

Senior Military Expert (ME4) Ignatius Wang Kebin joined the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band in 2011 and managed to get a scholarship to study music with the United Kingdom’s elite fighting force, the Royal Marines.

“The experience was a big eye-opener, and it was a fantastic opportunity to study. But at the same time, it was stressful, as I was representing the SAF and the country as well,” said ME4 Wang.

He is now a music director in the SAF Band and is expected not only to be a musician but also a military officer who prepares the bands and ensures they are ready to support parades and ceremonies in the SAF.

Today (July 28), he was one of the 125 personnel who received their appointments as Senior Military Experts to meet the SAF’s increased requirement for expertise in specialised domains throughout its service.

And with the SAF becoming more technologically advanced, the graduating cohort of the Military Domain Experts Course is the largest since the first appointment ceremony in 2011, The course trains military experts for roles in the SAF where in-depth expertise in areas such as engineering, military intelligence and medical knowledge is needed. It hones their leadership competency, military domain knowledge and specialised skills.

The newly appointed Senior Military Experts will now go on to assume command or staff appointments in their professional areas in the SAF.

In his speech at the ceremony in the SAFTI Military Institute, Minister of State (Defence) Mohamad Maliki Osman highlighted the importance of their specialisation in niche areas.

He said: “The spirit of innovation of finding effective solutions to tackle problems and overcome our constraints has long been in the DNA of the SAF.

“The ability to push the envelope to achieve the best outcome for Singapore’s defence, which is so crucial for a small country like us, would not have been possible without our people’s deep expertise and specialised knowledge.”

Another newly appointed Senior Military Expert — and Sword of Honour recipient — ME4 Pang Kee Hwee is looking forward to the responsibilities that will come with his appointment.

The command chief of 805 Squadron, which maintains the F16 and G550 planes, said: “As I move forward as a ME4 command chief, responsibilities will be more, and challenges will always be present. I think it’ll better link me with the officers, so we can move together.”